Linking or point seaming machine



March 24, 1953 w. LOMAX ET AL 2,632,414

LINKING 0R POINT SEAMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 F/G. /i

I nvenlor M MK d I 'M'p M I March 1953 w. LOMAX ETAL LINKING 0R POINT SEAMING MACHINE Filed 001;. 1 1.950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNlTED S'l'A'lhS EFlCE William Lomax and Philip Dawson Smith, Leicester, England, assignors to Wolsey Limited,

Leicester, England Application October 18, 1950, Serial No. 190,752 In Great Britain February 19, 1949 7 Claims. 1

This invention concerns linking or point seaming machines or mechanisms of the type comprising a series of points for the reception of the loops of the edge oredges required to be linked, and seaming mechanism operating progressively along the line ofthe machine points to produce a line of linking stitches that connect the loop or loops held on each machine point. Such machines are commonly used in the manufacture of stockings, socks, underwear, and the like, and in the manufacture of other garments made from knitted fabric. For example they are used to close the toe end of stockings or the like knitted on circular knitting machines, to join selvedge edges of heel tabs to the initial courses of. the adjacent parts of the foot bottom in the manufacture of full fashioned stockings having a French foot or a foot resembling a French foot, and in numerous other circumstances, particularly in the manufacture of knitted underwear. In that embodiment of the aforesaid type of machine which is in everyday use the machine points are mounted radially upon a dial which is racked round progressively to bring successive points into register with the seaming mechanism. The two sets of loops are run by hand on to these machine points after the two pieces of fabric that are to be connected have been removed from the knitting machine or machines. This is a laborious operation and one object of the present invention is to' eliminate it.

The invention provides, in combination, a linking or point seaming machine of the type specified, a mounting for a transfer unit having a series of points thereon to carry the loops of a linking course or courses which points have substantially the same pitch as those of the machine,

means for effecting such relative traverse between the transfer unit and the machine points as-will bring successive transfer points into loop transferring relation, at a transfer station in advance of the seaming mechanism, with successive ma chine points, and operating at the transfer station means for effecting transfer of the loops of the linking course or courses from the transfer points to the machine points. The references to a linking course. or courses are not to be construed as implying that the apparatus may only be. employed for linking two' courses together for, as, will be apparent to one having knowledge for the purposes for whichlin-king machines are commonly used, the apparatus may readily be used to; link selvedge loops to. a course of loops. lPreferablythemounting is. arranged for the removablev reception of the transfer unit and it is further preferred thatthe-transfer unit shall he so constructed and arranged as to be capable either of direct application to a knitting machine to receive from the needles of that machine. the loops of a linking course knitted thereby, or of application to an intermediate device (such for example as a topping bar) equipped with instruments capable of receiving the loops fromv the needles of the knitting machine, the transfer unit being capable of receiving the loops from said instruments. It may be necessary under certain conditions to place one or more. of the sets of loops on to the transfer unit by hand.

The fact that the mounting permits of the removal of the unit is not only of substantial utility in the construction specified in the two foregoing sentences, but it also permits the linking course of one piece of fabric tov be applied to the linking machine by means of one unit and the linking course of the second piece of fabric to be subsequently applied to the machine by means of the same or another unit. This may render it desirable toprovide means for rendering the seaming mechanism inoperative during the transfer of the loops from the transfer unit to the machine points.

In a specific embodiment of the invention the machine points are mounted in a circular series and the transfer points are mounted in a straight line, for example on a point bar. In such a construction the transfer unit is advantageously movable substantially tangentially of the circle of machine points to bring them into loop trans.- ferring relation.

The transfer means preferably consists. of means. having a movement in a direction from the transfer points and towards the machine points in Such manner as to sweep the loops from the transfer points on to the machine points. For example it may consist of a brush which, is rotatable about an axis substantially tangential to a circle concentric with the axis of the linking machine dial. Alternatively it may consist of a plurality of fingers or blades. located in helical formation and rotatable in such manner that as the transfer. unit is moved lengthwise of the lineof transfer points and the machine points are moved in a corresponding direction these fingers or blades pass one by one into the space between successive transfer points and, moving substantially lengthwise of said points towards the machine points, sweep the loops across from the transfer points on to the machine points. In. afurther alternative a singlehnger, movable to and fro or in a circular path, or a comb of such fingers may be employed.

The foregoing and other features of the invention defined in the appended claims are incorporated in the apparatus which will now be described, as a preferred example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a plan of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a plan, on a larger scale, of a portion thereof in the vicinity of the transfer station;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of parts of the apparatus in the vicinity of the transfer station;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the transfer wheel; a

Figure is an elevation of the blades of the transfer wheel.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a table I on which there is mounted a linking or point seaming machine 2 of the type specified. This machine is constructed according to U. S. patent specification 1,725,825 and therefore does not require any detailed description or illustration herein. However, attention may be directed to the dial 3 carrying a circle of radial machine points 4 and rotatable about a vertical axis 5 by driving mechanism 6 which derives its power from a shaft 1. The rotation of the dial 3 carries the points 4 past a linking or seaming station 8 at which linking or seaming mechanism indicated generally at 9 operates in known manner.

Also mounted on the table I there are rectilinear guides II] on which a carriage I I is mounted for sliding movement in a direction tangentially of the dial 3. This carriage is formed with a rack of teeth I2 with which there meshes a driving pinion I3 driven by worm gearing I 4 from a shaft I5, itself driven by gearing I6 from an extension I of the shaft I.

A removable transfer bar I! carrying a row of transfer points I8 is detachably mounted on the carriage II by means here shown as clamping screws I9, there being a stop 28 on the carriage for fixing the endwise position of the bar II.

The points I8 are identical with or resemble, except for length, the transfer points employed in Cottons patent knitting machines) which as is well known, have grooves or eyes along them for the reception of the needles employed in Cottons patent machines), and each of them has an eye or groove along its underside for the reception of the extremity of the associated point 4. The pitch of the points I8 is substantially the same as that of the points 4 and it will be seen from Figure 3 that the bar I! is mounted in an inclined attitude such that the ends of the points I8 are arranged to overlie the points 4. The carriage II is driven at such a speed in relation to the rotational speed of the dial 3, that the points I 8 move at substantially the same linear speed as the dial points 4 and, as the points I8 are presented one after another at a transfer station indicated generally at 2| in Figure 1, they register substantially with the points 4. It will therefore be appreciated that if the points I8 hold a row of loops, these loops may be shifted across at the transfer station one after another from the points l8 to the points 4. Thus, assuming that the points 4 originally hold further row of loops (which may be run on to the points 4 by hand before they reach the transfer station 2|) the points 4 eventually hold two sets of loops which they present to the seaming mechanism 9 operating at station 8.

In order to transfer the loops from the points I8 to the points 4 there is a blade wheel 22 which is cut with a series of helical blades 21 and is mounted at the station 2! on an arm 23 for rotation about a horizontal axis which is oblique.

to the path of movement of the point bar I I. The pitch of the blades on the wheel 22, as measured in a direction at right angles to the length of these blades is substantially equal to the pitch of the points I8 and the angle at which wheel 22 is mounted is such that at the lower part of its periphery the blades are located between successive pairs of the points 4, l8. Therefore, as the points travel, they engage the blades 27 and rotate the Wheel 22 and the effect is that each blade 21 sweeps along from the points It towards the points 4 and, engaging the fabric on the points l8, slides the latter across on to the points 4. At the same time the blades serve to cause the points I8 to register accurately with the points 4 and the roots of the spaces between successive blades press the points I8 down on to the points 4, so that the tips of points I 8 are buried in the customary eyes or grooves on the upper surface of points 4 and the eyes or grooves in the under surface of points I8 receive the tips of points 4.

Conveniently a curved guard plate 26 is provided around the extremities of points 4 immediately after station 2| so' as to prevent the transferred fabric from coming off the points 4. This guard, continued beneath the points 3 towards the linking station 2, curves to move the fabric towards the roots of the points 3.

It will be appreciated that although in the illustrated construction the wheel 22 is rotated by the points, a power drive may be provided for it.

If desired the points I8 may be of such length that a plurality of rows of loops (i. e. appertaining to a plurality of layers of fabric) may be run on to them, one row of loops being transferred at one traverse of the bar I! and the next row at another traverse and so on. In order to facilitate these successive transfers the guides I8 may be provided in advance of the transfer sta tion with a parting cam24 which engages be tween the outermost piece of fabric and the one immediately behind it and moves the outermost piece of fabric outwards on the points towards a position in which it is placed to be engaged by the blades of the wheel 22. The next and any other row of fabric travels past the transfer station 2| in an inoperative position. However in running several layers of fabric on to the points l8, the operator will find it convenient to press the fabric right down to the roots of the point and so when the bar I! is attached to the carriage II it is desirable to bring all the layers of fabric forwards to a ready position. This is effected by a further cam 25 on guides II, there being (as shown in Fig. 3) a gapbetween' the cams 24 and 25 through which all layers of fabric, other than the outermost one, can travel. The cam 25 advances all the layers slightly, but the cam 24 parts off the outermost layer of fabric (which is to be linked) and moves it forward to a position in which it is placed to be engaged by the transfer device 22. This parting may be facilitated by the operator pulling the leadin edge of the outermost layer outwards along the points I8, before the traverse of carriage II starts, so to a position in which cam 2d can enter behind this layer.

After the carriage II has made one traverse (from right to left in Figure 1) during which the fabric is transferred from the bar I! to the dial 3, it is necessary to return the carriage to the starting position. For this purpose the drive for the carriage may be provided with a device which is indicated at 28 and comprises a clutch which is released manually or automatically at the end of the travel of the carriage so as to disconnect the carriage from; its driving mechanism thereby permitting the empty bar H to be removed from the stationary carriage and the latter then returned to the right byhand before the clutch is reconnected. Such a clutch is necessarily so arranged that the carriage H can only be connected in such a manner with the points I8 registering properly with the points 4. In addition to this clutch there may be quick return mechanism which when brought into operation drives the carriage H to the right.

Although in the apparatus described and illustrated' the; mechanism 2 is as described in United States patent specification No. 1,725,825, the invention is not restricted in this respect and any other known or suitable mechanism (of the type specified) may be employed.

In one method: of using the apparatus described herein, the two courses to be linked together are run onto the same group of the points [8, and ("after the barll has been mount-ed on its carriage) icy-rotation of the dial 3 and traverse of the bar ll, the, transferring device 22 is caused to transfer both courses together to the bare machine points 4, which latter subsequently present both courses to. the seaming mechanism 9.

In one method of using the apparatus described herein, thetwo courses to be linked together are run on to the same group of the points l8, and (after the bar i! has;' been mounted on its carriage). by rotation of the dial 3 and traverse of. the bar I], the transferring device 22 is caused to transfer both courses together to the bare machine points 4', which latter subsequently present both courses to the seaming mechanism 9.

What we claim is:

1. Linking or point seaming apparatus comprising the combination with linking or point seaming mechanism of the type comprising a circular series of radial machine points for the reception of loops required to be linked, said series being movable to bring successive machine points to a seaming station, and seaming mechanism operable at that station to produce a line of linking stitches from the loops held by successive machine points, of a mounting for the removable reception of a transfer unit having transfer points for the reception of loops to be linked mounted thereon in a straight line with substantially the same pitch as machine points, means for moving the mounting in a direction substantially tangentially of the circle of the machine points and for causing successive transfer points to enter at a transfer station in advance of the seaming station, into loop transferring relation with successive machine points, and means operating at the transfer station for transferring the loops from the transfer points to the machine points for presentation by the latter at the seaming station.

2. Linking or point seaming apparatus, comprising the combination of a linking or point seaming mechanism of the type comprising a rotatable dial having a circular series of radial machine points for the reception of loops to be linked and their transport, by rotation of the dial, past a seaming station, and seaming mechanism, at the seaming station, for operating to produce a line of stitches through the loops presented successively at said station by rotation of the dial, with a transfer bar having a line of transfer points for the reception of the loops to be linked and for their surrender to the machine points, which transfer points have substantially the same pitch as the machine points, a mounting for the removable reception of the reoibilinear guides for the traverseof the. mounting to carry the transfer bar substantially tangential: lyof the dial and to. present the; transfer points. in substantial register with the machine points at a transfer station, a transfer device, at thetransferstation, for shifting'the-loops' across from the transfer points onto the machine points, anddriving connections for driving the linking or point seaming mechanism and for traversing the mounting at substantially: the same linear speed as the machine points.

3; Linking or point seaming apparatus comprising the combination of a linking or point seamingmechanism of the typecomprising a m tatable series of radialmachi-nepoints for the reception of" edge loops to be: linked, and seaming mechanism operating progressively along the line of'the; machine points to produce a: line oflinking loops through the loops on the machine points, with a mounting for the removable reception of atransfer unit having a linear series of parallel transfer points thereon for carrying loops of at feast one linking course, which transfer points have substantially the same pitch as the machine points, means on the mounting for the removable reception of the transfer unit, means for effecting relative traverse between the transfer unit and the machine points tobringsuccessive transfer points into loop-transferring relation, at a transfer station in advance of the seaming mechanism, with successive mach-inepoints, and means operating at the transfer station for effecting transfer of the loops from the transfer points to themachine points.

4. Linking or point seaming apparatus comprising the combination with linking or point seaming meachanism of the type comprising a rotatable series of radial machine points for the reception of loops to be linked and their transport, by rotation of said series, past a seaming station, means for rotating said series, and seaming mechanism, at the seaming station, for operating to produce a line of stitches through loops presented successively at said station by rotation of the said series of points; of a carriage for the removable reception of a transfer bar having parallel transfer points, for the reception of loops to be linked, mounted thereon with substantially the same pitch as the machine points, means for mounting such a bar removably on the carriage, guide means for the movement of the carriage in a direction substantially tangentially of the series of machine points and for bringing the points of such a transfer bar, when applied to the carriage, one after another to a transfer station, in advance of the seaming station, whereat said transfer points are disposed for the transfer of their loops to the machine points, mechanism for driving the carriage along the guide means in timed relation to the rotation of the machine points and for causing successive transfer points to register with successive machine points, and transfer means at the transfer station for transferring the loops from the transfer points to the machine points for presentation by the latter at the seaming station.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the transfer means is a rotatable device disposed at the transfer station which device comprises a circular series of helically disposed fabric-engaging fingers for passage, upon rotation of the device, lengthwise of the transfer points towards the machine point and for thereby sweeping the fabric off the transfer points onto the machine points, and having means mounting the transfer device for rotation about an axis oblique to the path of movement of the transfer bar.

6. Linking or point seaming apparatus for h removable reception of a transfer bar having a series of parallel, fabric-receiving, transfer points and for the transfer, at a transfer station, of fabric loops from said points to machine points of a linking or point seaming mechanism of the type comprising a rotatable series of radial machine points for the reception of edge loops to be linked, means for rotating said series, and seaming mechanism operating progressively to produce a line of linking loops through loops on the machine points, of a carriage for the removable reception of the transfer bar, means for effecting traverse of the carriage substantially tangentially of the machine points and for bringing successive transfer points into loop-transferring relation with the machine points at a location in advance of the seaming mechanism, a rotatable transfer wheel at said location for shifting loops from the transfer points onto the machine points, which wheel is formed With helical blades of substantially the same pitch as the transfer points, in combination with means for mounting the wheel at the transfer station for rotation about an axis which is oblique to the length of the transfer points such that the blades mesh among the latter and sweep from the latter towards the machine points. I

7. Linking or point seaming apparatus for the removable reception of a transfer bar having a series of parallel, fabric-receiving, transfer points and for the transfer, at a transfer station, of

8 fabric loops from said points to machine points of a linking or point seaming mechanism of the type comprising a rotatable series of radial machine points for the reception of edge loops to be linked, means for rotating said series, and seaming mechanism operating progressively to produce a line linking loops through loops on the machine points, of a carriage for the removable reception of the transfer bar, means for effecting traverse of the the carriage substantially tangentially of the machine points and for bringing successive transfer points into loop-transferring relation with the machine points at a location in advance of the seaming mechanism, a rotatable transfer wheel at said location for shifting loops from the transfer points onto the machine points, which wheel is formed with helical blades of substantially the same pitch as the transfer points, in combination with means for mounting the wheel at the transfer station for rotation by the points about an axis which is oblique to the length of the transfer points such that the blades mesh among the latter and sweep from the latter towards the machine points.

WILLIAM LOMAX. PHILIP DAWSON SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 137,997 Beven Apr. 22, 1873 1,068,853 Butz July 29, 1913 

